Of Catching Lightning
by astraphobic kisses
Summary: Getting married is easy; being married is not. Azula, Ty Lee and wedded life. (fluffy little drabbles)
1. Questions of Marriage

AN: This is a tale of bridezillas, brothers and bantering.

* * *

 ** _+Prologue+_**

"You're still breaking them in!" Ty Lee protests, shaking Azula by the arms. "You can do impossible things, princess! I believe in you!"

"I believe you're as much of a monster as I am," Azula remarks, sighing.

A small smile spreads across Ty Lee's face. "I love you, you know?"

"Of course I do. I wouldn't be standing in this dreadful shoes if I didn't know that," Azula says, staring at herself in the mirror. She offers a grimace and nothing more.

Ty Lee grins beside her soon-to-be-wife. As in _tomorrow_ to be wife.

"I need to practice my speech," Azula lies.

Ty Lee does not believe her, but she has infinite preparations to make too.

She pecks Azula on the lips and walks off to go shout at some florists. Azula sinks into a chair and brusquely orders of a servant, "Out. Immediately," and is obeyed.

Azula's speech will be groundbreaking. She has secretly read Ty Lee's, and Ty Lee is just going to joke about their engagement. Maybe she will be convincing about the lies, maybe not.

Their engagement was not half bad, Azula supposes.

* * *

 ** _+Questions of Marriage+_**

Princess Azula of the Fire Nation likes to get what she wants, and always does get what she wants. Or so she would like to believe, and no one wants to burst her bubble of fantasy. She is currently having an uncomfortable dinner with her brother, Fire Lord Zuko, and is lamenting the fact that he seems to think a knife is more dangerous than lightning, as she pries apart a steak with a particularly dull fork.

"I need to ask you something, brother," Azula declares as some blood or particularly dark red sauce splatters onto her ivory wrist.

"Yes?" Zuko offers, glad that she is attempting to start conversation. Azula has not hesitated to express her loathing for these weekly dinners he asks for her to have with him, yet, she does always come to them, when she has the power to be served food somewhere else.

"You know my... _romantic_ relationship has gotten somewhat serious?" Azula says, giving up altogether on her meat and sipping wine.

Zuko breathes in and nods. "I like you with her. She's good for you."

"So I'm aware," Azula says sharply. "I wouldn't date her if I didn't think she was good for me."

While Zuko finds that difficult to believe, he just nods. His past few years of relationships have not gone well, and he is trying his best to be happy for his sister. However, it makes him uncomfortable that his twisted, wicked, selfish and manipulative sister somehow has a healthier love life than he does.

 _"Zuko, when you're jealous of someone, you have be jealous of_ everything _about that person," mother chides and Zuko scowls._

Only now does Zuko realize the truth in his mother's words.

"So, what do you want to ask?" Zuko offers and Azula stares at him for a moment.

"I want to ask her to marry me," Azula says and not one, not two, but three of Zuko's dishes crash onto the floor from his body convulsing in completely shock. Azula, however, just stares forward unflinchingly, waiting for his reply.

"Wh-what?" Zuko stammers in surprise, clearing his throat and fumbling around for a napkin that does not exist.

"Why not?" Azula says coldly. "We've been courting for what one would consider to be an acceptable amount of time to offer a proposal of marriage. I mean, of course the courtship will have to drag on, but I'd like to initiate it sooner rather than later."

Zuko licks his lips and tries to think of something to say. "Is it a trap?"

"Is what a trap?" Azula asks, somehow keeping herself from rolling her eyes. Zuko seems to take too much pleasure in accusing her of malicious intentions.

Not that she doesn't often do things with malicious attentions. _But still_ , he should give her much more credit.

"Are you marrying her to trap her with you?" Zuko asks and it takes Azula longer than it should for what he is implying to sink in.

"So it would be some kind of torment to be married to me?" Azula asks quietly, attempting to sound intimidating and fearing that her real response will show through her practiced regal expression. "I want to..." She hesitates. "I _do not_ need your input. Or your permission. I can do as I please and this is one freedom I refuse to have stolen from me."

Azula stands up, contemplates throwing her chair to the floor, and then decides to go the mile further and sets the chair on fire before throwing it to the floor. The tapestry on the wall is set ablaze before Zuko puts it out, and right as the blue glow fades, Azula is gone.

Zuko stares after her, sighing.

That, like most of their interactions, could have gone much better.

* * *

"Mai," Ty Lee says as she sits on Mai's sofa and sips sugary mint tea. "I got something today."

Mai gestures at the endless shopping bags that have nested in her living room. "I had no idea," she remarks dryly.

Ty Lee rolls her eyes.

" _No_ , I got ─ okay, well, _maybe_ I got a bit distracted and bought other things, but I _got_ this." Ty Lee rummages through four bags before she pulls out a smooth, velvety red box. Mai is not sure what it is until Ty Lee opens it and reveals an engagement bracelet.

"I have to respectfully decline your offer," Mai says sarcastically, hoping to mask her shock and horror with scathing attempts at humor.

Ty Lee frowns. "You don't approve, then?"

Mai chews on her lip as she thinks about the right answer. And then she sighs and decides it is not worth it to lie. "You can ask for your own funeral if you want. I won't stop you."

And Ty Lee rolls her eyes before lying back down and tugging the throw blanket further over herself.

"It's not a funeral. Marriage is about moving into something beautiful and new. Like a rebirth and second even better life," Ty Lee says dreamily and even Mai is not a heartless enough person to crush her expectations.

She doubts it will go well, regardless.

* * *

 _"Take her somewhere pretty, somewhere she likes, and then just ask," Zuko suggests, trying weakly to make up for his initial reaction to Azula's plans to marry Ty Lee._

 _Azula does take his advice, albeit with several snarky remarks._

Now, two nights later, Azula messes with the golden necklace tucked inside of her pocket. This is not what she is good at, nor is it what she enjoys doing. Romancing the girl who is now her fiancee has not been easy from start to finish, and the moments she enjoyed were never the expected or planned ones.

There is, honestly, nothing calculated or planned about _loving_ someone.

And that makes Azula feel nervous. She likes to be several steps ahead, always knowing what is coming next. While she may have spent years of her life consumed gradually by her suffering, being consumed by these _feelings_ has been even worse.

"This is..." Ty Lee remarks as they finally emerge from the trail. "This was definitely not your idea."

"You caught me. It was actually Zuko's," Azula admits, shrugging and stepping over some dew-misted plants.

"Zuko's?" Ty Lee snorts and laughs and Azula rolls her eyes.

 _Of all of the people for the great Princess Azula to fall in love with..._

 _It's_ this _girl_.

"I know," Azula says honestly, still rather surprised that her brother had _decent_ love advice. Particularly with the impossibly fast rate at which he has been going through girlfriends for the past several months.

"Well, it's beautiful," Ty Lee says and Azula thinks she should make some remark, but she comes up short.

 _Not as beautiful as you?_ No, no that's _too_ weak. Too pathetic.

"Let's sit," Ty Lee announces, grabbing Azula's hand and running to the dock to sit down.

"I have been trying to attempt something for some time," Azula says coldly, clasping her hands on her lap. Good, good... She is sure she is doing well. "It has taken a good deal of my thought, and I have put a significant amount of energy into it. It's..."

"Can I say something first?" Ty Lee interrupts, her tone of voice the one in which she simply cannot hold what she wants to say in anymore.

"Of course," Azula says, trying to relax her tensed and angry fingers. She does not enjoy being interrupted, but if she is going to successfully coerce Ty Lee into agreeing to royally court her...

"Azula," Ty Lee says and the princess suddenly thinks that perhaps this is a break-up speech. Agni, no. Azula should not have allowed her to interrupt. "I got you something."

Ty Lee reaches into her quaint little purse and pulls out something that nearly makes Azula fall into the water. The princess grabs Ty Lee's arm to support herself and wonders why they did not safely remain on dry land.

"What did you get me?" Azula asks, although she knows, and Ty Lee knows she knows.

"Will you marry me?" Ty Lee asks with a wide, hopeful smile. She bats her eyelashes as she holds out the gilded bracelet.

Azula's lips open and close wordless and Ty Lee suddenly looks afraid her, her brow knit with worry.

"I was going to ask you first," Azula at last manages to snap.

Ty Lee bursts into a fit of giggles and Azula struggles with the urge to push her face first into the water.

"You were going to ask me first?" Ty Lee laughs even harder.

"I even get you a matching necklace. I clearly had the superior proposal done! Why did you think I dragged you out _here_ into these disgusting woods for!"

"For a better place to hide my body when you murder me?" Ty Lee chortles.

"Well, I'm considering it _now_!" Azula says, blushing.

Ty Lee sighs. "Well, do you want me to put this away and pretend that I never did it?"

"No, I want to propose to you with the bracelet you got me, and you can keep the ones I got you. And then it will essentially be both of our proposals except I will be doing it," Azula says quickly, relieved that her strategist's mind didn't immediately shut down upon the sudden revelation of the night.

Azula reveals the jewelry, handing it to Ty Lee and exchanging it for the bracelet sitting on the Kyoshi Warrior's lap. Ty Lee examines the necklace and bracelet and could not be happier right now.

"I don't really need this. It's the most beautiful thing anyone has bought me and I don't even know where to put it or wear it that does it any justice," remarks Ty Lee quietly as she studies the necklace in her hand. It _is_ beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful. She has always loved things, material objects, clothes, jewelry, containers for the jewelry. But the necklace seems more _significant_ somehow.

"It's for you. You love things. Remember, _love dies but things are forever_ , as you said," Azula insists, her lip twitching, clearly annoyed. The princess is used to people acting exactly as she predicts them to, and while Ty Lee's level of unpredictability can be attractive, Azula does not like this.

Ty Lee looks at the necklace in her peach toned palm again. And then she stares at this blue lake, where Azula took her, on the edge of forever and somehow guarded from time. Ty Lee takes it and, without a second thought, tosses it as hard as she can into the water.

"Why would you do that?" Azula snaps, nearly falling from her perch on the dock as she tries to catch it and misses. It falls into the water, down beneath the depths, beneath where any firebender would dare dive to find it.

"So I'll always know where it is," Ty Lee says honestly and Azula looks at her as if she is insane.

"You ─ I don't understand why you would ever ─ !"

Azula does not finish her sentence because suddenly, soft lips meet hers. The princess leans in to it, pressing back quite passionately. The bracelet on her lap presses into Ty Lee's skin as their hips meet with a charge of electricity.

Ty Lee's fingers stray without any restraint, nor does she put a second thought to inviting herself onto Azula's lap. She reaches into her clothes, beneath them, and trails her fingertips down from her navel until the princess moans against her neck, and then slides further up.

But the moment Ty Lee's eager hand reaches Azula's chest, the abrupt motion of Azula's leg as she tries to catch the engagement bracelet without interrupting the burning moment of pleasure sends them both, screaming, toppling into the cold water.

Azula chokes as Ty Lee holds up the bracelet.

"It's okay. I saved the important thing," Ty Lee says, waving the dripping cold as she takes hold of the dock.

Ty Lee laughs as Azula sputters, coughs and drags herself towards shore.

"It went better than expected!" Ty Lee calls after her.

It did, Azula knows.

* * *

"We need to get our proposal story straight," Azula says as she dries her soaking hair with a deep scarlet towel. She wrings out the cold water onto the floor and walks away from it, expecting her servants to clean it later.

"What do you mean?" Ty Lee asks, baffled and half naked. She has dried herself and is now wrapped in Azula's warm crimson blankets, her cheeks still aglow with excitement.

 _They are getting married._

 _Ty Lee is going to be a princess!_

"I am certainly not telling people how it actually happened. So, let's think of some much more dazzling way that I proposed to you," Azula purrs in a matter-of-fact tone. Ty Lee can only shrug, because she loves this girl like an idiot, even when she is selfish, shallow or amoral.

"So... our marriage will be founded on lies," Ty Lee says slowly, sounding out each word. Azula is uncertain if Ty Lee is mocking her or is thinking the matter through. "Well, if they're _our_ lies, I don't see how they can hurt."

"Exactly." Azula leans in to kiss her new fiancee and finds herself grabbed by the arm.

" _Our_ lies. So help me Azula if you build anything in this relationship on lies I will divorce you forever."

"What about lies our relationship was based on before we got engaged?"

"Like what?"

"The list is pretty long. We can start with everything I have ever told you. Of course, I just told you I loved you to get you in bed. And basically everything you know about me is a complete lie. Even my _own name_..."

Ty Lee pinches her harder and she winces before their lips crash together.

"I'm sorry for that; I meant to be gentler. I'm feeling pretty emotional right now," Ty Lee says breathily, standing up with melodramatic grace.

"I couldn't tell," Azula mutters, rubbing her wrist and taking Ty Lee's place on the bed. "I proposed to you, and, therefore, Ty Lee, our first couple-lie can be your decision."

Ty Lee grins like Azula has just told her she can buy every puppy-bunny in the store. "So, I can just make up any way you proposed to me that I want?"

"I mean, as long as it seems like a way I would realistically propose. And also maybe I don't look like a complete wimp in front of my enemies..." Azula wrings her hands as she realizes she might just have made a very poor decision.

"Have I ever had anything but a realistic view of our love?" Ty Lee winks and Azula frowns faintly.

Azula supposes she has very little dignity left to lose anyway.

* * *

Azula and Ty Lee are well dressed and disturbingly quiet when they take Zuko out to dinner. Ty Lee keeps fidgeting and twitching, and Azula has that slight trembling in her fingers, like leaves partially disturbed by the wind. They are nervous, and the Fire Lord is not stupid. While he has had ten years to repair his relationship with Azula to an extent, he is very skeptical of his sister's desire to go anywhere with him. Or, for that matter, go anywhere. Zuko can only assume that Ty Lee has said yes to Azula's proposal, which is saddening, but Zuko will put on his happiest face about the ordeal.

It will not be unlike putting on his happy, congratulating face to Katara and Aang, and hiding the boiling resentment within his chest and stomach. Watching Katara drift away, out on the tides, far away from him, without the anchor Zuko knows he would be, is infinitely harder than watching his sister and Ty Lee marry.

Fire Lord Zuko sits down at the beautiful wooden table coated with a freshly cleaned veneer. He is keeping his words of support sealed within him and preparing to use them as he waits for his sister and Ty Lee to get settled across from him.

"What do you usually get here, Zuko?" Ty Lee asks casually as she picks up a menu.

"Congratulations! I am very happy for you!" Well, Zuko thinks that might have just gone wrong. His face reddens as he quickly tries to compensate, "Oh, I always get the sweet noodles."

Azula cackles, of course.

* * *

Azula and Ty Lee arrive at Mai's house with Ty Lee just bursting to recount her dramatic tale of the perfect proposal. Princess Azula must admit that it is a quite good story, and Ty Lee does tell it with such excitement that it would be difficult to discern if it is truth or lies.

Mai looks them up and down before sighs,

"I already know what you're going to say. At least make it interesting," Mai says dryly as soon as Azula and Ty Lee step inside, interlinked, disgustingly together. _Agni_ , it makes her stomach churn in revulsion.

Maybe they are cute. _Maybe_. And Mai does secretly want them to be happy. _But_ she also thinks that their public displays of affection are appalling; it does not matter how subtle or attractive they are, because they will always be Mai's two best childhood friends who happen to be sucking on each other's faces.

"Oh, oh, oh yay!" Ty Lee says before gasping a few times. "It was a beautiful sunset, in the Black Sand Woods by the Firehole River, and..."

Mai believes not one word, but the story has great effort behind it, so she nods and pretends to be happy for Ty Lee, as she always does when women announce their weddings.

Azula believes not one word of Mai's congratulations, but she does not want to expend the effort to make a _scene_.

* * *

"It's champagne, not a _weapon_ ," Azula snaps at the guards and their quizzical expressions. "I can bend lightning; it isn't as if I'm going to bludgeon someone to death with this flimsy glass bottle of overpriced alcohol."

Azula has just arrived at the prison, and is already being extensively searched. The guards are an annoyance that Azula cannot work her way around, since no one in their right mind would trust her alone with her father, even after all of these years.

"Why do you need champagne?" the head guard with a meticulously groomed beard asks.

"Because I'm telling him that I'm getting married. It is socially appropriate, and I think it would be utter savagery for you to deny me or him that. We are people even if ─ _ouch_ , do not _even think about jabbing me with your thumb if you want to keep it_ ─ We are people even if we are guilty of war crimes," Azula says and he squints at her. "And I also happen to be the Fire Lord's Advisor. And a princess. Basically, I outrank you in every possible way a person could outrank someone else, so if I want to bring a bottle of champagne, I can ─"

And a gravelly voice from behind says, "Let her take the champagne in. I will personally make sure she doesn't... do whatever you think she's going to do with it."

"I don't need you to save me, ZuZu," Azula snaps, although she thinks she does. While Azula is competent and clever, life is much easier with the Fire Lord as your brother.

He clasps her shoulder with one hand, cocks an eyebrow at the guards, and they immediately bow and allow the Fire Lord and his sister to pass.

"You would have probably had a better chance of getting in if you didn't threaten to remove anyone's thumbs," Zuko whispers in her ear and she elbows his ribs.

"Why are you even here? When is the last time you ever even wanted to look at our father?"

"I want to look at his face when you tell him this."

"That's not in the spirit of this joyous occasion at all."

"You only come talk to our father when you want to make him feel bad about how well your life is going without him. Don't act like you're actually here to share your happy news."

"That may be true. But you can't have any of my very dangerous champagne, and you're going to have to pretend you're not here."

"But think of how seeing us not trying to kill or exploit each other will hurt him. Think of the pain in his eyes."

"You don't have to pretend you don't exist, but you still can't have any of my very dangerous champagne."

"I will take it," Zuko says with a small smile. She rolls her eyes and pretends not to enjoy the interaction. So it has been for well over a decade after the comet.

They arrive and find him waiting, expectant of Azula. Not so much of Zuko.

"Well, I am surprised that I am not in a pit of some sort to grovel," Ozai remarks directly at his son. "Do you really value me so much that you'll let me be in an open room with an actual window and be able to talk to real humans?"

"This isn't about Zuko," Azula interrupts as she sits down in the only chair across from Ozai. She sets the very dangerous champagne down on the table and Ozai stares at it.

"What are you celebrating?"

"My engagement," Azula says and Ozai laughs in a way that makes both of his children hurt.

"To the circus freak? Agni you've become more pathetic than I thought." He leans back in his chair as Azula tenses. "Would you like me to walk you down the aisle? I could procure some golden handcuffs. Or maybe we could start a massacre…Oh, I forgot that your loyalty lies with your brother now instead of _me_."

"I am happy about my wedding and you cannot change my mind," Azula says.

Ozai slowly shakes his head. "You'll be miserable. You'll hurt her. You'll hurt yourself by even bothering to get involved with her."

Azula frowns.

It could not go worse.

* * *

"I don't want to rush anything," Zuko says quietly as Azula is sitting and ghostwriting speeches but mostly just kind of looking like a ghost pretending to be writing. She does not want to think about how everything with her father went.

The champagne, uncorked once she arrived back in the palace, is halfway drained beside her. Zuko does hope that it will make her less likely to get angry or critical of what he has to say. She has to be at least a _little_ tipsy.

"This will be done when it is done," Azula says coldly, although she knows her brother is not talking about the speech. "It's a shame there are even speeches you really _have_ to give. I always do so much better. And I would have you know that I have only contemplated using the powers you have given me to start a Civil War three times."

"Only three?"

"Three times a day," Azula corrects with a smirk.

Their usual insults as conversation makes what Zuko is about to say very uncomfortable. "I was thinking about, after... with father... if..." He wants to run away but he composes himself and sighs. "I was thinking that maybe I could do the father part for you?"

Azula cocks an eyebrow, clearly taken off-guard by that.

"Why would you _want_ to be involved in this? You seem pretty adverse to the idea of my happiness."

"Well, Ty Lee doesn't have anyone, and you, _kind of don't_. I'm not trying to be your father or anything like that; I'm just offering. As Fire Lord and an older brother. Mostly the older brother part."

Azula feels a bit like she is going to cry and it makes her want to punch him and then hold him down and slowly burn him alive. It is that feeling when someone rips open your ribs and decides to poke around in there. A feeling she hates.

"I will consider your proposition," Azula says quietly, and Zuko knows it is a yes.

He leaves her be, for fear of some kind of wrath.

Azula can no longer focus on the stupid speech, because she is thinking about the fact that Ozai made her a weapon. Zuko... didn't _make her_ anything. He didn't force her to bend or starve or run for hours. He just helped her take her first steps all over again, and...

She shakes her head and tries to forget all of that. It is behind her. Those years are _behind her_.

But Zuko is much more fitting for the role.

In a logical, sense, of course.

* * *

Ty Lee cannot decide on what she wants as stationary for her engagement announcements. How can this little, insignificant detail be preoccupying her this much. It is _so_ frustrating that she absolutely wants to scream.

"Why not just the royal scrolls?" Azula offers as if that is even a remotely acceptable idea. Ty Lee just glares at her with a pout on her lips before returning to her detailed analysis of the stationary that the wedding planner has laid out on the table. "Those aren't good enough for you?"

"I am not announcing my engagement on legal documents," Ty Lee snaps and Azula rolls her eyes and sets her chin on her hand. "Why do you have to be so disinterested? This is the most important day of your life."

Azula rolls her eyes again. _No_ , the most important day of her life was probably conquering Ba Sing Se, or her coronation if it had not been ruined by Zuko and his stupid unrequited romantic obsession. This wedding is going to be a reasonable valuable day in her life history, but it isn't _the most important day of her life_.

Oh, there was also that day when Azula gave her first speech since her fall from grace. And the people loved her, adored her, proved that she still had some semblance of worth. That is the only important day of her life that has not been revoked by the Avatar.

"Oh Agni!" Ty Lee exclaims and Azula nearly falls out of her chair. The wedding planner looks even more frightened. "We haven't picked out our color scheme! How will I decide on stationary without a color scheme!?"

Azula just sighs. "Red and gold."

Ty Lee looks deeply offended for some reason. "Royal purple and maybe a shiny golden."

"You want this to be a royal wedding, Ty Lee. There's no such thing as _royal purple_ , and the colors are red and gold." Azula looks at her fiancée's eyes, and has the sudden revelation that this is not going to be a pleasant four months of wedding planning.

"Pink and gold."

Azula decides it is in her best interest to agree.


	2. Mommy Dearest

_**+Mommy Dearest+**_

* * *

A pounding on the door wakes Azula. The loudness of it clearly tells her that it is her brother, and she sits up, dizzy with her eyes sore. She had Ty Lee in her arms, who had been whimpering in her sleep half of the night from how much stress she has been putting herself through.

She also kicked Azula half to death, but the princess lived.

Azula thinks that she should have known it was trouble when she found out that her best friend wanted to be a princess most of all.

The pounding intensifies, and Azula stands up, slides her sleeve up over her shoulder, and opens the door.

"There's someone here to see you," Zuko says, his brow knit with concern. Azula just squints.

She does not know what could be so _alarming_. "Let me get dressed."

After managing to dress herself and comb her hair, she then she sees before her why Zuko looked so frightened. Azula does not have the energy or willpower to do this.

"Who invited you here?" Azula asks of her mother as Zuko tries to blend into the walls.

"I misunderstand why I found out that my daughter is getting married through a mass letter announcement."

"Who sent you one of those?" Azula responds with a mock surprised expression.

Ursa sighs. "Did you just not tell anyone that you're getting married?"

"No. Ty Lee and I told Zuko, and then Mai, and then Zuko and I told father."

Zuko actually wishes he could fade into the walls now. His mother cocks an eyebrow, looking offended. And Azula looks smug in response.

"I came out here to take you and Ty Lee out for dinner or lunch or drinks or whatever you both want, to try to celebrate your engagement. Because I have never shared in one of your significant life events before, and I think I would like to," Ursa admits as sweetly as she can.

She showed up feeling very happy and tender towards her daughter, but she could not help but get frustrated the more she thought about things.

Azula weighs her options. At last, she very clinically replies, "I will accept your offer. Today Ty Lee and I are going to the florist or something. After that you may meet us for a dinner that you will purchase."

Ursa will take what she can get.

* * *

Azula and Ty Lee stand in a cold, uncomfortable flower shop. It smells too strongly and has bugs flying around and is poorly decorated, masquerading as a nice place. Ty Lee is examining the flowers more closely than she should as Azula stares at her nails in utter boredom.

"They're just flowers," Azula says before realizing she will really, deeply and truly regret that comment.

"They're some kind of symbol of love and commitment!" Ty Lee snaps and Azula grimaces.

"No, they're just flowers."

Ty Lee narrows her eyes. "They are a symbol of love and commitment."

"I miss when you weren't allowed to talk back to me."

" _Azula_!"

"I refuse to apologize for honesty. You told me not to lie to you."

" _Azula_!"

"Any person would be wistful for the days of absolute power when they are being so controlled by a lunatic."

" _Azula_ , there's a spider-wasp on your neck!"

"Kill it!"

"Stop shaking! You're going to scare it and it will sting you!"

"Where is, ugh, I'm going to burn myself! Kill it!"

"Only if you apologize for what you just said!"

"I'm sorry! Fine, I'm sorry and I think you're great at wedding planning! Kill _it_!"

Ty Lee plucks it off of Azula's neck with two fingers, walks over to the window, and sets it free. She then turns to Azula with a half-scowl on her face. "That's what bad karma looks like."

"I told you to kill it, not let it go. Now it will never learn. Nor will its friends. You can't just let a horrible creature that showed me such disrespect go free. Sooner or later all of the insects will think my neck is a free for all," Azula snaps as she walks as far away from the flower pots as she can.

"Maybe I don't like being ordered around," Ty Lee says, turning her nose up towards the ceiling.

Azula wants to take a nap. First, she nearly gets stung to death. Then, she fights with Ty Lee. And in an hour she has to have dinner with her _mother_.

This day could not be worse if a tsunami hit Caldera and just drowned everyone like fire ants.

* * *

Azula's resentment for Ursa is never a secret. But it could not be more clear at this dinner. Ty Lee tries to make it comfortable and is grateful that they got a rather private sitting area.

But Azula thinks she is doing magnificently. She has not had an outburst, despite her mother's entitled opinion that she is allowed to try to be in Azula's life.

She never was before. Anger. Acidic anger.

But Azula goes to the dinner and sits in complete silence, doing all she can to pretend her mother does not even exist.

Ty Lee gets more and more embarrassed and time goes by.

It could not go worse, and so Ty Lee grabs onto Azula and leads her across the restaurant.

Ty Lee stumbles into the bathroom beside Azula. A woman is handing out perfumes, oils and towels, but both women ignore her and stand in front of the mirror. Ink paintings trace down the sides, and the incense gives the room a surprisingly pleasant scent.

"Can we leave?" Azula asks before hesitating. "No, allow me to rephrase that. We are _leaving_ , Ty Lee."

Ty Lee frowns. "I really want to do this. I'm not asking you to _like_ her but I'm at least asking you to try. Weddings are about bringing families together."

"My father was not so fond of the idea," Azula replies, thinking of his level of rage that had him dragged away by guards, and Azula's bottle of champagne still corked.

"Ooo, but I heard that Zuko was going to do the father part for you in the wedding," Ty Lee says with a bright, sunny grin. "That is so, so sweet of him."

Azula frowns again. She does not like how she is not able to manipulate her way out of the dinner with Ursa. Ty Lee stops to think, and Azula notices how she is adorable when she curls her lip in concentration. It is a rare face, but one that Azula likes.

"How about you fake an injury?" Azula suggests brightly, leaning against the sink and not even noticing that her shirt is damp now.

"How about I do some _convincing_ ," Ty Lee breathes as she presses her against Azula. The princess does not feel the pain in her back as she is pressed into the stone counter. Ty Lee's hips press against hers, the wanton motion enough to elicit a moan from the princess.

Ty Lee's fingers stray into Azula's clothes before quickly moving away.

"We can finish that, if you finish our dinner."

"Exploitation. I will not stand for it," Azula says regally before following Ty Lee into the dining room again.

* * *

Azula is miserable for the rest of the dinner. Ursa keeps trying to talk to her, discussing the wedding and how proud she is of Azula. Yes, how proud she is that Azula now bends to Zuko's will and supports him as Fire Lord. Even though she must know that it is just for Azula's own personal gain and loyalty to her country.

Ty Lee, on the other hand, gets along just fine with Ursa. She chatters away, seeming to make Azula's mother somewhat uncomfortable.

And then Ty Lee gasps abruptly in mid-sentence, and most of the restaurant turns to stare. Azula wishes she had demanded an even _more_ private seating arrangement.

"We don't have a flower girl," Ty Lee states shrilly and Azula thinks she knows where this is going. "How about Kiyi?"

Ursa hesitates for a moment and Azula scoffs loudly. Ty Lee knew she should have cut Azula off hour ago.

"You don't want her involved in _my_ wedding do you? I understand; I always pretend that you don't exist. And when I- _we_ have a child, I will tell her you died in childbirth," Azula purrs, and Ty Lee grimaces, wishing this were not spiraling out of control so fast.

"It has nothing to do with whose wedding it is," Ursa says as assuredly as she can manage. She turns to Ty Lee for a moment, "I was waiting for your fiancee to give me an answer. She's the only one who might protest."

"HA!" Azula snaps and again, faces turn to fixate on them, no matter how obscured their table is. "I would be fine with that. She did like her visit to Caldera."

Ursa looks uneasy at Azula's kindness, but she accepts it. Azula seems rather apathetic at this point, and focused on her drinks and the painful memories that Ursa brings up with almost every word she says.

Ty Lee lists as much of the wedding planning she has figured out, which is a _good deal_.

"My wedding was planned before me. Actually, I think it was planned by Fire Lady Ilah," Ursa explains and Azula does look up at her for a flicker of a second. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. But remember to enjoy each other just as much as the dresses. You both will be wearing dresses, I presume? I haven't seen a wedding between two women since I lived in Caldera. And that was some time ago."

"We will both be wearing dresses," Azula says flatly, thinking about how she has let Ty Lee get so much control.

It concerns her. Azula does appreciate being with someone who is not afraid to tease her, or to bring her down from her heights of rage, or be an equal in marriage. But Azula likes how much control she still maintains.

And she is definitely sacrificing it as Ty Lee goes insane over the wedding.

* * *

After the dinner, Azula grinds her teeth.

"Are you paid hourly?" she snaps as her mother lingers with she and Ty Lee. "We're done for the night."

It is painfully silent for a few moments.

"I got you a gift," Ursa says warmly as she opens a box. Ty Lee's eyes light up eagerly, while Azula displays as much open disinterest as she can. "Well, this one is Azula's. I got you another one."

Ursa hands the box to Azula, and the princess looks at her mother only once before opening it. It is a ring. A very beautiful ring, and the smooth ruby embedded in it is the symbol of sharing royal blood with another.

"I..." Azula's mouth feels dry and she wishes she were drunker. "I like it."

That makes Ursa smile, and Azula's head ache.

Ty Lee gets earrings and perfume.

* * *

When they get home, "You so promised that this would be my reward for my efforts with your mother," Azula says as she pushes Ty Lee down onto the bed and straddles her with conviction and burning arousal.

"I had a few too many," Ty Lee moans, and Azula slides down on her, lying together, intertwined.

Drunk kisses are all they share before Ty Lee grins and pulls away.

"Oh, I love weddings. They bring everyone together!" she breathes cheerily.

She smiles softly as she falls asleep.


	3. We Were Born from Ashes

_**+We Were Born from Ashes+**_

* * *

"You are a once in a lifetime kind of thing. Like catching lightning in a bottle. Isn't that the phrase? That's some kind of phrase…" Ty Lee frowns as she examines Azula.

"I have no idea," Azula says softly as she rolls her ankle. She wants to go to sleep, but she also does not, and she is just glad to have Ty Lee beside her. "I think that you are my one weakness."

"Oh…?" Ty Lee raises an eyebrow, but does not comment too much.

"Well, let's see. You can take away my bending whenever you want," Azula says, examining her hands and trying not to look at all emotionally invested. "You are quite difficult to read, given your expertise at fake smiles, or maybe I just don't want to know what you're thinking…"

"Maybe I'm not thinking anything," Ty Lee suggests with a small, self-deprecating chuckle.

"I'll take that. And you are a fucking therapist." Azula almost spits the last part.

Ty Lee sniggers and Azula wants to slap her. "Oh, but A _zula_ , I only did it for you."

Azula frowns at the shadowy ceiling of their bedroom. "I don't understand why you weren't comfortable just being a warrior."

"I've told you that I was just trying to do something less murdery with my chi-blocking skills, and I started learning about using them for therapeutic things, and then it just _escalated_ ," Ty Lee says honestly, thinking of how much she enjoyed her journey through _empathy_ and _introspection_.

Ty Lee was magnificent at it. She is nonthreatening, yet very educated, open minded, knowledgeable about auras, has been through the wringer herself, but doesn't wallow in it. And she is very open to new medical advancements like broken minds instead of just broken bones.

Until a certain set of circumstances perhaps required her to quietly resign in fear of public humiliation and disgrace.

Azula complains, "Escalated to absolute absurdity. You are the dumbest person I know, and I still do not understand why anyone would ever give you such certification."

"You know I'm not stupid." Ty Lee rolls her eyes. The joke is no longer endearing, but she will tolerate Azula's tongue, because… _reasons involving her tongue._

Azula pouts for a moment. "I _do_. It's so disgusting."

"Because it makes me likable? I started being shallow because it worked really well for me. It made life so painless, and everybody liked me. And I mean, I'm way better with my hands than my head. You are not the only person who is still in shock that I did something _intellectual_ with my life."

"Well, you quit your job in order to become a princess."

Ty Lee laughs at that suggestion. "I quit my job in order to have sex with a princess."

"Are we still saying that you quit?"

" _Yes_."

"You seem very passionate about that lie." Azula layers on the threatening tone, but Ty Lee does not even blink or worry for a second.

"It is for my good, your good and the good of Zuko for bailing me out of the situation," Ty Lee says with a flashy grin.

Azula just shrugs. "I think it's very sweet how all of your life choices have revolved around your feelings for me. I would be flattered, if it weren't just such a given."

Ty Lee scoffs. And then contemplates it. And then groans.

"I'm going to sleep."

* * *

"Do you think Azula got lost and is going to die?" Mai asks dryly, blinking several times to wet her eyes.

They had glazed over from the endlessly boring wedding plans she is being forced to look at.

"No. She's only been gone for ten minutes."

"I don't think she knows how to operate a grocery store," Mai remarks as she glances up at the door for the thousandth time. Flatly, she adds, "I worry about her sometimes."

"Oh sweet spirits!" Ty Lee shrieks as she is halfway through flipping a page in the book, and nearly giving Mai a heart attack. "Which of us will you be Maid of Honor for?"

Mai looks at Ty Lee, stunned by how small of a problem that is. It is definitely much too small to justify her being on the verge of tears. While Mai hates to agree with her parents, marriage is way simpler when it's creepy and arranged behind your adolescent back.

Ty Lee is scarier than that, somehow.

"I don't care," Mai says and Ty Lee yanks the book away, nearly slicing Mai's hand open. "Why does that surprise and anger you?"

" _Because it's important_! Do you not love us both?" Ty Lee cries and Mai nods.

"I guess Azula, _because_ you probably can find a lot of other people willing to do that for you. And I think Zuko is doing the father of the bride job for her, so he's out of the running for maid of honor. That's it. Those are the only two people remotely willing to be in Azula's wedding party."

"I can give her a few of mine," Ty Lee mutters, jotting down a note that Mai cannot read from afar.

"I don't know if she'll like that. No, no, I don't think they will ever talk to you again if you make them Azula's servants, even for just one day."

"It is my wedding and I will do whatever I want!" Ty Lee exclaims and Mai shrugs.

"Go ahead." They are, thankfully, interrupted by Azula entering and throwing the bag of groceries onto the table.

A loud _crunch_ of a broken wine bottle rings through the room.

"That was… ineffective," Mai says calmly as Ty Lee jumps away from the spilling red liquid, like someone's vein just exploded all over the table. She nearly loses the wedding book, which makes Mai think Azula might have lost a finger if Ty Lee didn't rescue it from the tsunami.

"What kind of shoddy, low class item breaks that easily," Azula says sharply, looking genuinely surprised that throwing a wine bottle onto a table would not break it.

Mai sighs as Ty Lee is examining her book for any stains.

"I don't know Azula. Maybe we can complain to the shop owner."

This will be a fun sleepover, Mai decides.

* * *

Zuko looks up at her and does not know what to say.

This is not how things were intended to be. He is not going to confirm his feelings for his best friends wife, not in a million years. But, here she is, demanding to know, that look in her eyes of utter, unabashed stubbornness.

"Just tell me. Tell me right now," Katara says forcefully and Zuko shrugs.

 _Ugh_. Shrugging was definitely not the right response, but she does not seem to care. In fact, she seems to prefer it.

"I can't think about this right now."

"How are you not with Azula and Ty Lee getting married? And the fact that everyone is coupling, even _Azula_. _Azula_ is able to land a stable relationship and you..." Katara purses her lips and realizes that it was probably the most callous thing she has ever said.

"Of course it's weird to me, but those feelings are old. And they should... they should go away," Zuko says and Katara slowly breathes in and out.

"I want you to tell me if there is any reason that I shouldn't..."

Zuko hesitates. "Of course not. I wasn't expecting anything other than that."

Katara stares at him, and Zuko stares back, and this is how it always goes.

"If that's what you want," Katara says calmly and Zuko thinks that perhaps he has been clueless and said something wrong.

She gets up and leaves him, leaves him thinking too hard about yesterday's feelings.

* * *

Mai knows a hustler when she sees one. Mostly because the way she has entertained herself on her travels is by scamming people at games of darts. Their expressions are pretty funny, and Mai sees that exact expression on the faces of a multitude of people losing at a drinking contest.

She is still sitting in the corner, her date having miraculously disappeared. She _needs_ someone to be dating her if she is going to go to Azula and Ty Lee's wedding. Then she can get rid of them, but _someone_ in this bar has to be good enough to raise Mai's social standing.

And Mai has definitely found that person. The girl with pale skin and a dark tattoo standing out starkly against it in contrast. Mai thinks that perhaps she is exactly perfect, if a bit unwise of a decision.

Now, all she has to do is attract her attention. That should not be so difficult, seeing as Mai has now had enough liquid courage to go volcano spelunking. She stands up, walking across the room with what she hopes is confidence and not a swagger.

"Are you going to give me a try?" asks the woman and Mai just shrugs one shoulder.

"Actually, I was thinking that you could play my game," Mai says and Jun smirks.

"I don't think you have half a chance at beating me at any of the bar games in this place," Jun replies, looking the Fire Nation girl up and down. The men and women here are all so bold and overconfident; they make _Jun_ look humble in comparison.

And, while the bounty hunter was not selling criminals, she was making a killing by exploiting eager and egotistical drunks. That is the embodiment of the girl in front of her.

"You wanna wager?" asks Jun, sitting down on the table and looking at Mai with a strangely desirable scrutiny.

It is the kind of patronizing gaze that makes you just want to dominate someone.

"Yeah," Mai agrees and Jun gives her a glance that is less arousing and more like Azula or a cautious cat.

"You look pretty rich," Jun remarks, shrugging and sliding down. "What's your game?"

Mai walks over to the man who keeps hopping on his foot and hoping to win somehow and grabs the darts out of his hands. His friend laughs behind his drink, and Mai wonders who thought that darts was ever a good idea to have in every bar.

"I'm not half bad," Jun says. She honestly does not think she even has to worry about playing this pale, skinny little girl with slender, soft arms.

"I believe you. So your wager?" Mai asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"Everything in your purse."

"What if I have nothing in it but old wrappers and a pair of stolen earrings?" Mai remarks, although she is fairly certain that she has a good deal of money and some very nice, expensive blades.

"Well, I'll have it and you won't." The girl Mai is somehow trying to seduce by screwing out of her money is now finding her set of darts.

Mai breathes in and out and examines her own. "If I win," Mai says and Jun cannot contain her small laugh, "if I win, you have to go with me to my friend's wedding and say that we're dating."

Jun laughs harder. "That one's new. I mean, I've been asked for a night in bed, but pretending to be a date to a wedding."

The bounty hunter likes the nerve on this one.

* * *

"Azula, Azula, Azula, Azula, wake up!" shouts someone jumping onto the princess's bed. "The sky is on fire."

"What?" Azula asks, squinting at her fiancee and then glancing at the window and seeing a quite pretty meteor shower. It just makes Azula want to go back to sleep.

"Come outside and watch it with me." Ty Lee grabs Azula's arm and yanks with no restraint.

"Fine, whatever," Azula mutters as she is guided onto wet grass and a gross, hot summer night.

They are pretty, however, transfixing as can be. But Azula's eyes keep wandering to the girl beside her and how captivated she is about something that happens every few summers. It is secretly something Azula truly likes about her, the ability to be able to find pleasure in small things.

Azula struggles to find pleasure in _anything_ much of the time.

"Why are you staring at me? Do I have bedhead?" Ty Lee starts rubbing her frizzy hair around her lopsided braid.

"Yes," Azula says, before redirecting her gaze to the brilliant lights in the sky. "But, honestly, there are things down here that I like much more than in the sky. Things that I can actually touch."

"And that's...?" Ty Lee asks and Azula just looks at her again. "You can be sweet sometimes."

"More than sometimes," Azula purrs and Ty Lee does not argue as she pulls her into a fierce kiss.

Yes, there are burning things down here that Ty Lee can touch and not just gaze at.

And Azula tonight with her on soaking grass in a quiet courtyard is much more beautiful than a meteor shower.


	4. Rings of Fire

_**+Rings of Fire+**_

* * *

Princess Azula cracks her knuckles one by one, her fresh manicure glittering in the overly lit meeting room. She, Ty Lee and Planner Number Whatever are discussing the extreme importance of the First Ring of Fire, which is of course the most lavish party.

There are technically three weddings on the same rushed day. The first is shared with as many people as possible, and celebrates the spark of love at first sight. The second is usually focused on dancing and dated sexual symbols that have lost most meaning. Vows are said and speeches are given. The third is the real bonding, and is only amongst friends and family. It's a small but legal ceremony, with the most absurd traditions.

The first takes place at dawn, the second takes place at midday, and the final one takes place at dusk. Then the newlyweds…spend the night together.

"I suggest," the wedding planner says as soon as it is appropriate to speak, "that you make the First Ring of Fire into a charity affair here at the Four Nations Embassy. I want to make your bond _glow_."

"A charity for what?" Azula scoffs.

"Whatever pleases you both. It should be personal to you." The wedding planner clasps her hands and smiles.

"I'm not one for charity, and Ty Lee is the shallowest, most materialistic person I have _ever_ met," Azula says coldly. "Give us the royal party she wants."

Ty Lee glares and becomes strangely silent. Usually she talks through every single wedding meeting that they have, unable to shut up or stop giving orders that put Ozai to shame.

The journal of smooth mongoose-dragon leather and flawless parchment is growing thicker and thicker, but Azula honestly does not care so long as this somehow manages to work out.

Quickly, the wedding planner says, "We have a huge charity ball and we have all of the requests you desire, hold it somewhere fun and have a party everyone remembers. I might suggest that, since you're aiming for _memorable_ , _classy_ but _nontraditional_ we do something a little... sexier and more dangerous, while of course retaining the dignity of your royal status."

Azula very slowly looks up at Ty Lee. It is obvious that she is not used to waiting for someone else to make decisions, because her fingers twitch, and she tears off yet another chunk of her lip stopping herself from declaring the answer. But ever since Ty Lee started making her wedding demands, Azula has decided that playing nice has been working neatly in her favor.

"I like it," Ty Lee says with a smile. "We'll be exhausted anyway, Azula."

"We'll be the most awake at this one," Azula complains and Ty Lee glares at her.

"Stop bitching and let me be a princess," Ty Lee snarls and Azula has officially had it.

"I suggest you shut your mouth and never dare speak to me in that way again. I can still leave you now," Azula says so carelessly that Ty Lee's jaw drops.

Ty Lee stands up, snatches her planner and leaves without another word.

Azula leans back in her chair.

* * *

Katara is sitting down on top of her suitcase that she packed until it bulged before leaving her home. She cannot believe she is attending _Azula's_ wedding, but she could not help herself. And she, at the time, thought that if Suki's rumors were true, Zuko would need help. They are true. Ty Lee is scary and Katara is absolutely not throwing her a bachelorette party.

"Not for Ty Lee. For _Azula_. It's traditional for the brother to bring his brother to a party between the Second Ring of Fire and the Third. Azula is way more tolerable than you would think – oh Agni, did I just say that out loud?" Zuko's neck muscles tense.

"Why can't you just go with Miri?" Katara inquires, cocking an eyebrow.

"Meng, actually was the ─ no, this is about the fact that I'm thinking it will be a way more comfortable preparation drinks-dinner even if I have a friend there," Zuko says, swallowing. He sighs. "You might have noticed that this is a nightmare of a dream wedding."

Katara shrugs and sits down. He does have a point. "Ty Lee _is_ the absolute worst bride I have ever met. I mean, Azula is selfish and cruel, but that's..."

"I also am made extremely uncomfortable by her mania, and by the fact that it seems to make everybody around her lose it too. But don't all girls want their weddings to be important?" Zuko suggests, turning up his palms.

And Katara grimaces. "No. Not at all. _But_ , I will ignore your sexism and say honestly that Ty Lee is definitely that type. I'm pretty amazed Azula is putting up with it. You don't think maybe Ty Lee is drugging her? Not that I'm complaining, but..."

Zuko clears her throat.

"Please, can you come or not? It's only a couple of hours between ceremonies. You'll need a break. _I'll_ need a break. No…not like that. Not that kind of break. Not that kind ever again." Zuko asks and Katara groans and slumps.

Katara pretends, like always, that that night did not exist and moves on with the conversation.

" _I_ _will_ ," Katara says. "Drugging Azula or not, I think that Ty Lee's tyranny completely rivals her fiancée's and I'm pretty interested in what happens next."

"I'm not," Zuko mutters, but he'll take Katara.

At least he will have the classiest date in the bar.

While doing very not-classy things in the name of tradition and brotherly honor.

* * *

Ty Lee is too excited to sleep; her wedding is in two days. She cannot believe it. Just two more restless nights before one more restless night with Azula.

Azula is awake too, but ignoring Ty Lee. But then, she throws herself at her fiancée.

Ty Lee pushes her away. "I'm still mad at you. You said an awful thing to me and I can't have you talk to me like that."

"I talk how I please. You may have noticed that I am a princess as well," Azula says and Ty Lee hates that she has a slight point. A _slight one_.

"Don't hurt me. Don't _ever_ hurt me, you understand?" Ty Lee whispers.

Azula kisses her and steps back. She respects Ty Lee's loathing and insecurity about her princess and is tired anyway.

But Ty Lee grabs Azula by the wrist and welcomes the collision of their lips. It makes her tingle, burn and develop a fever of arousal she cannot shake. She eagerly welcomes her lips, her tongue, her heated skin and the control she takes that makes Ty Lee feel beyond desired.

And soon this will be hers, theirs, forever and ever because _weddings_.

Azula is still standing as she slips onto Ty Lee, straddling her. They are intertwined together for breathless, forceful moments, their tongues warring and lips pressing against each other over and over and over, hips grinding against each other to a certain rhythm that is both familiar and alien. Azula steps back for a moment to remove her nightdress and shove her empty suitcase off of the burgundy bed. Ty Lee's eyes glitter with a hunger as she reaches for her own light pink nightgow, but Azula seizes it and removes it violently. Ty Lee gasps and moans but is silenced by Azula on top of her again.

Not at all the Azula who is trying to keep calm and acquiesce to her tyrannous bride. No, this Azula is the tyrant that Ty Lee loves.

Azula sucks on Ty Lee's lower lip without bothering with cute kisses. The palm of her hand forces the arc of the acrobat's back as they tear at each other, clinging as if they would drown if they did not. Maybe they would.

Like when they fell into a lake during their proposal.

Ty Lee moans but it fades into Azula's forceful kiss, teeth and lips grazing against each other. This is possibly the messiest sex either of them have ever had but they both love it. Love it with frantic, palpitating hearts.

Their bare breasts press together as their bodies become so close they might as well be united as one person, like the wedding vows always go on and on about. Ty Lee has the sudden compulsion to gently push Azula onto her back. Azula might have surrendered in the past, but now she refuses and pushes Ty Lee down.

She can only handle so much. Her teeth bite into Ty Lee's skin and Ty Lee enjoys the pain.

Azula thinks having control over Ty Lee's beautiful body is much more fun than control over a color coded wedding planner.

"I still hate you. I just like having sex with you," Ty Lee whispers before they break apart.

"I know." Azula smirks into her pillow.

Ty Lee will forgive too easily.

She always does.


	5. Love is a Battlefield

_**+Love is a Battlefield+**_

* * *

Mai wakes up riddled with some odd form of confusion, maybe a dash of regret for good measure. She then feels the familiar sensation of yet another one-night stand, because Mai has absolutely no ability to commit to anyone.

She sits up and moves to escape without being seen, and then she looks at the girl beside her. Ugh. Oh, double _ugh_.

The girl with the tattoos and the assertiveness is already awake, and seems to be getting ready to quietly escape as well.

Now, this would be a moment when they acknowledge each other's mutual flakiness but desire for sex, but instead, it turns into them escaping _together_.

Because Mai decides to ask, "How would you like to be my date to a wedding?"

And her tattoo girl one-night stand shrugs.

"Will there be free drinks?"

"I certainly hope so," Mai says, looking the quite hot girl up and down. She really hasn't thought much of girls beyond maybe sleeping with them or making out with them once or twice, because she can't understand _not_ wanting to sleep with women.

Dating one never appealed to her. She wants someone who can hold her in big arms and push her on swings – not that she's actually done any of those things – and that's guys only.

But flaunting this chick in front of Zuko and all of the other assholes Mai calls her friends is well worth it.

"I'll do it. Probably."

It is a level of commitment Mai wouldn't expect from a random hook-up.

* * *

A day later, Ty Lee and Azula sit in the palace. Ty Lee is gossiping, because it is her favorite thing to do.

"So, did Zuko go talking to you about Mai's new girlfriend?" Ty Lee asks, giggling about it. Oh, she does love the gossip. "Mai's taking her to the First Ring as a date!"

Azula seems displeased by the entire ordeal. "I misunderstand why she can't just admit that she is doing this to make my brother jealous. It's not like she even would have to try. He only dates girls whose names start with M, you know?"

"What?" Ty Lee blurts out, laughing herself nearly to death.

"No, think about it. Meng, Mitsuko, Mao..."

"Oh wow," Ty Lee says, suddenly realizing it.

"Yeah."

"And they all stand for _Mai_."

"Well, I was under the impression that they all stood for _Mommy_ , but..." Azula shrugs.

Ty Lee laughs at that despite it not being very funny.

"Oh... that's _true_ though..." Ty Lee tries to frown but is smiling. "They do all stand for Mommy."

"In other actually new news, Mai sometimes likes women, apparently, but _not_ me. Well, Mai... hmph." Azula just stares. "You wouldn't leave me for a man, would you?"

Ty Lee laughs, until she realizes Azula was not joking. "No. I wouldn't leave you for anybody."

"But what if you get bored and change your mind like Mai. Mai, who was so in love with Zuko that she would _die for him_ or something, and then a hot woman comes along and, well..."

Well, Ty Lee is still trying not to laugh. "I'm marrying you, stupid. Marriage is one forever person. You're my forever girl."

"You've had boyfriends."

"Why does even..." Ty Lee sighs. "Here's all I'm ever saying on this topic."

"Mhm?" Azula waits impatiently.

Ty Lee pounces. No, literally _pounces_ , and Azula is certain that this is some kind of classic misdirection. A very sexy misdirection.

"When I'm with _you_ , I'm trisexual."

"... what?"

"I'm gonna try to have sex with you."

"That was awful. Oh Ty Lee that's just pathetic. That's the worst joke I have ever heard in my entire life." Azula is definitely _misdirected_ , and Ty Lee holds quite true to her newfound sexuality as she attacks her fiancée's clothes.

* * *

Ty Lee is too sweet. But her sweetness seems to have a blade somewhere within it because, while she wants to be a poised, perfect princess to be, she also has this monster that rips out of her whenever they are doing wedding related preparations.

They have one day before the First Ring, when it all begins. Azula thinks this must be how soldiers feel when they go to war.

Azula would rather fight the entire Earth Kingdom army than take Ty Lee to another wedding shop or discuss any other plans.

But she understands why. Ty Lee used to want to be a princess most of all. Which probably should have been a red flag or ten when it came to her achieving her adolescent dream, but when looking at the world through a rose tint, red flags just look like regular flags.

"I have no idea what the difference is between the venues. They are exactly the same."

"One has more trees and one has water by it!" Ty Lee exclaims, about to tear out her hair in frustration. " _How_ can you have no plans for your wedding?"

Azula shrugs. "I never had a reason to think about it."

"Well, I _have_! And I'm going to have my royal wedding and my dress with pink diamonds and the absolutely perfect venue so help me Azula unless you want me to divorce you and marry Zuko but cheat on him with you!" screeches Ty Lee and Azula is smiling. "What? Stop smirking! What is funny about this to you?"

"You would cheat with me if you were married to Zuko?" Azula does not think she can lose the smirk even if she had all of the self-control in the world. "Let's do it."

"What?"

"You think I've never fantasized about fucking whatever poor, unsatisfied girl my brother married?" Azula shrugs and Ty Lee just sighs.

"Oh, Azula..." Ty Lee throws her arms around her perfect princess.

* * *

The First Ring is a Charity Ball for something Zuko picked out. He decided it was a good political opportunity; Azula decided it was less involvement for her. If he fucks it up _he_ can suffer Ty Lee's wrath.

"Just one night. Well, then tomorrow night… and the next night. But in three days, we'll be having sex on a beach," Ty Lee says brightly. She kisses Azula.

"Those three days sound like three decades," Azula says softly as she eyes the large crowd.

She has been prepared all day for this appearance. Ty Lee decided to direct the servants and Azula feels _ridiculous_.

Azula cannot wait to be the dominant one in this relationship again.


	6. First Fight

**_+First Fight+_**

* * *

"You are trying to add your name to your score, Ty Lee," Azula says, rubbing her temples exasperatedly.

Ty Lee closely examines the napkin and laughs. It is covered with numbers representing the points of four players. Only one of the four women has any enthusiasm about their game as they sit at a table in the corner at the First Ring of Fire. The attention is definitely not on the brides, and Ty Lee will probably start murdering everyone if Azula and Mai do not distract her.

"So, June, you love Mai and stuff," Ty Lee asks.

Through clenched teeth, Mai says, "Finish adding the scores."

Azula adds, "They met a few nights ago. I doubt they have any genuine feelings for each other. Just like I doubt my genuine feelings for you upon occasion."

"When do you doubt your feelings?" Ty Lee demands, agape.

"When you act like a lunatic. I know you're not a genius, but all you can think about is the wedding. You spend fourteen hours a day preparing for this wedding. You do not talk to me about anything but this wedding. You do not talk to anyone about anything but this wedding. It is a _miracle_ that you are even playing this game instead of begging me to light you on fire so everyone will look at you again."

The silence seems invincible until June coughs and says, "Ouch."

"I'm going home," Ty Lee whispers. Tears drip from her eyelashes when she blinks. Azula feels nothing for reasons she finds unclear.

Ty Lee stares at Azula, waiting for her to apologize or beg her to stay. She waits and waits; it feels like an eternity.

"You should change your shoes if you are considering walking back to Caldera," Azula says.

Ty Lee does not change her shoes; she bolts for the door.

No one turns away from the crowded gala.

"Princess," Mai says, "I know I don't exactly care about your love life, but I think you should follow her."

"No." Azula stands up and walks in the other direction.

This have gone better.

* * *

Azula sits in her bedroom. Ty Lee did not pack, so she probably has not left the estate that will host all three rings of fire and the wedding itself. She wonders if she is waiting or not. All she knows is that she does not plan to go back to that stuffy party.

Ty Lee walks inside and stands mute, staring at her fiancée.

"Why do you hate me?" Ty Lee asks, shutting the door behind her.

Azula does not look up at her.

"I have humored you for months. I am tired of it. You are not a real princess, or a real royal, or anyone who deserves the respect you want to command," Azula says dryly, staring at the wall in front of her. She does not want to look at Ty Lee, but she does not know why.

"I'm just really passionate about making our wedding perfect."

"Your wedding. It is your wedding."

"I'm in love with you. Why aren't you responding to that? I'm in love with you and…"

"And what?"

"All of my friends say I'm completely blind and that you've hurt me way too much, but I think the fact that I want you so much still even after all of that mean something. I don't know what it means. Something. It means something."

"It means you are insane. You want to be important; you do not want to be with me. I can make you important."

"Yes, but no. I want to be important to you."

"Good luck," Azula replies, turning to face the window. It is a very starry night, but so dark, so very dark.

"I know that you'll never change. I know that," Ty Lee says, searching for words that do not exist. Nothing can describe how she feels and no one has ever prepared her for this situation.

"You have changed. I am sick of the tyrant in you," Azula says. She inhales deeply. "You drove me to a full scale mental breakdown twice and I want you enough to put up with this entire wedding. What does that mean?"

"I don't know," Ty Lee says, sitting down on the bed beside Azula.

They do not look at each other.

They do not know what any of it means.

The party rages below, hundreds of people feeling thrilled while those they are celebrating are sitting in a dark room wondering what mistakes led them up to this point.


	7. Impulse

**_+Impulse+_**

Azula stares at the ceiling as the unwelcome daylight penetrates the room. She does not know where Ty Lee is and she wants to pretend that she does not care. It would be unsurprising if Ty Lee flaked out on the entire ordeal and has decided she had a few extra knives to jam into Azula's back.

Instead, Azula drags herself from bed and sees Ty Lee sitting in the other room. She seems deep in thought, which is an unusual expression for Ty Lee.

"Getting married should be easy," Ty Lee says, not looking up at Azula. She always so eagerly drinks in her fiancée's face that Azula wonders if Ty Lee has lost her mind. "This is not easy. Perfect flowers and guest lists and dresses and three _whole_ rings of fire to get through. We have the best relationship in the history of the whole world."

"Do you actually think that?" Azula asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yes. A relationship without any tragedy is so not the best relationship ever. We had a sweet young romance destroyed by horrid pain that twisted inside of us for years before we were beautiful reunited and struggled through so many breakups and kisses and then we're getting married and we might _not_ get married just because I want a perfect wedding," Ty Lee says, needing to catch her breath at the end of her tirade.

The thoughts have been building up inside of her all night.

"Do you… not want a perfect wedding?" Azula asks, wondering why she put up with the agony of her lack of control and picky monster of a fiancée. That cannot happen in vain. Azula will not _let_ it.

"I think a perfect wedding is kind of impossible, and I think that I just want to get this over with, because if the wedding isn't the easier part we are so screwed," says Ty Lee eagerly. Her eyes glimmer and Azula sees that she truly believes that.

"Alright." Azula shrugs.

Ty Lee smiles and nods.

* * *

Azula stands in the middle of nowhere. They had to walk, Ty Lee carrying dresses and Azula complaining, until they found someplace to do this. It is not the worst place in the world to get married, but it does not hold that grandeur or sentimental value that Ty Lee went on and on about.

They are just in some second rate temple by where they held their First Ring of Fire.

"Do people even get married like this?" Azula asks, wondering when _she_ became the finicky bride-to-be. "I'm serious."

"Peasants do." Ty Lee shrugs.

The corner of Azula's lip curls and it takes Ty Lee a second to realize that it is not a smile.

"Seriously?" Azula dryly asks, dropping the shoes Ty Lee handed her. "I can't get married like a peasant."

"You've been so mad at me for like _months_ about being hard-to-please. Let's just do it." Ty Lee clasps her hands together and bats her eyelashes.

Azula thinks about it for a moment. On one hand, shame and a wedding far beneath her status. On the other hand, dealing with Ty Lee controlling her for another two months.

Princess Azula chooses the one that spares the most of her reputation as a lethal and classy princess.

She chooses to get married in a ramshackle countryside temple.

Ty Lee still insists that she wears the terrible shoes she has yet to break in.

Azula stands across from Ty Lee and whispers, "I think you used up all your eloquence convincing me to do this. Perhaps I should say your vows for you."

Ty Lee just smiles.

Maybe it is not a terrible idea to tear this bandage off before Ty Lee has second thoughts.

* * *

Azula sits next to Ty Lee in a field. They cannot summon the energy to walk all the way back to town from here after the rather taxing ceremony, burns and incense and a semi-awkward kiss all included.

"What are you making? It is hideous," Azula remarks, done staring at the sky and wondering if she should have bolted for the door the moment Ty Lee dragged her out here.

"It's a crown," Ty Lee says and Azula reaches it. "It's for _me_. I'm a princess."

Sarcastically, "You have what you always wanted. What a lovely day for Ty Lee," drawls the newlywed.

Grinning, "For Princess Ty Lee," whispers the other newlywed.

"Shut up," Azula snaps.

Ty Lee listens to her, but does not stop weaving the grass into a crown.


	8. Gently Down the Stream

**_+Gently Down the Stream+_**

Azula and Ty Lee sit in an inn room on the morning after their wedding night. They have yet to tell anyone where they went or that they have wed far ahead of schedule. No one in this gross town recognizes the princesses.

And Azula says over tea, "Doing spontaneous things is not as terrible as I always imagined."

Ty Lee smiles, truly content for the first time since she got engaged. Everything has been so _stressful_. "You never do anything you didn't plan for, do you?"

Azula says, "No, no I don't. I think that wedding was my first."

Ty Lee kisses her. "So, I have an idea for a honeymoon."

"Is it spontaneous and unplanned?"

"Of course it is. It's me." Ty Lee grins ear to ear.

"You were doing a _lot_ of wedding planning."

"And it made me into a horrible and mean person. I'm not a planner." Ty Lee smiles. "So, I wanna steal a rowboat and lie down and see where we end up."

"I am not. . ." Azula sighs. "I hate water. It is not my element."

"We got engaged in water."

"By accident."

"Please give this a try with me. Let's just start our marriage by drifting away together. Nobody can find us. No Zuko or Mai or—"

"I will try it," Azula interrupts. "I like the idea of no one being able to find me."

"We could run away forever if you want."

"I wouldn't mind that, but then I would miss my life of luxury. As someone who has run away from home, it is terrible."

"I ran away from home."

"Yes, and you joined the circus. That is almost as interesting as me, but not quite."

"The circus is really interesting."

Azula smirks and sits down on the inn bed. It is not up for debate.

"I am infinitely more fascinating and exciting than you, which is why you are so lucky to have me. It is fortunate that you decided to make such an impulse decision and got married before I lost it and left you."

"It's really nice of you. I was just passionate about our wedding."

Azula again just smirks and Ty Lee takes her cue to drop the topic.

* * *

Ty Lee shrieks when she steps onto the stolen rowboat. The unattended kind seems to be the rickety kind. They, Azula that is, should have predicted this before they raced off to the crystalline mountain lake.

"Isn't it big?" Ty Lee asks as she finally settles down on the boat. Azula remains on the dock, having second thoughts again. It would be more like sixth thoughts. "The lake, not the tiny boat. I can't even see the other side. Who knows where we'll end up?"

"Somewhere on the shores of the lake. It isn't like a river or even a creek. The lake is completely enclosed," replies Azula, at last stepping onto the boat.

She sits down, then Ty Lee lies down, then she pushes on the dock and lies down.

At first, the panic sets in. They both hide it from each other. Ty Lee plasters a smile on her face despite screaming in her head and Azula keeps cold and collected.

"Should we have taken the oars with us?" Ty Lee whispers, setting her head down on Azula's shoulder. She leans in closer to her.

"Did you not take the oars with us?" Azula snaps, starting to jump up, but when the boat rocks, lying back down.

"It's okay, it's okay. No oars, no safety measures. We're just totally taking off into the uncharted waters of this big lake and marriage," Ty Lee says, stroking Azula's hair.

It is embarrassingly soothing.

"I will accept this," Azula says, closing her eyes.

They are in silence for several beautiful minutes.

"Is married life always so perfect?"

Azula opens one eye. "For us?"

"Uh huh."

She closes her eyes again. "It is more likely that Zuko will beat me in an Agni Kai, I will learn your sisters' names, and the sun will literally freeze over than us have a stable and happy marriage. We couldn't even find a stable and happy rowboat."

The sun is too warm on Ty Lee's face for her to stop smiling over that statement.


	9. Cliff Diving

**_+Cliff Diving+_**

"I do not do _water_ ," Azula says. "And I do not trust it enough to jump into it."

She stands on the edge of a cliff with her new wife. Ty Lee has obeyed her well for the past two days of their impulse trip across a lake and into an oddly liberating honeymoon. Now Ty Lee wants her to try a game they played on Kyoshi Island.

It seems just dumb enough to please the brainless water peasants. Azula expects no less of the hicks.

"But it's so fun," Ty Lee begs, clutching Azula's hands. She squeezes them, and, were she not so sexy and so married-to-her, Azula would burn her fingers until they were bright red with blood. "Please, please, please."

"It sounds dangerous," Azula purrs. Ty Lee squints through the sunlight at her true love.

"Yeah. It _is_ dangerous but-but-but _breathing_ is dangerous." Ty Lee bats her eyelashes and Azula notes that she seems to glisten in the sun ever since they got married. "We're jumping into a new life."

"That is the world's most heavy-handed symbolism I have ever heard," Azula states. "Maybe I will jump. Maybe you should just make it worth my while."

Ty Lee kisses her. "Oh, I will. It'll be really fun once we swim to land. Then we can have another honeymoon adventure! Yay! This is so much better than the one I planned!"

She jumps up and down a few times before getting a running start. Ty Lee leaps off of a cliff like an idiot. Azula stands and looks down as she hits the water with a _splash_.

"Are you alive?" Azula calls down.

"Yes!" Ty Lee cheers. "Thank you for caring, princess!"

"Oh, I was not _caring_. I just was testing the safety of this venture," Azula says. She takes a deep breath, runs, and leaps into the ice cold water.

It hits her like a ton of bricks. She opens her eyes and gazes up at the way the sun hits the water, penetrating as far into its depths as it can manage. It makes the world sparkle and glitter and swirl like a swinging chandelier at a blue midnight.

Azula collects herself and claws her way up to the surface.

She barely has time to catch her breath before Ty Lee's lips vivaciously collide with hers.


	10. I Breathe, You Breathe

**_+I Breathe, You Breathe+_**

"I hate it when you see me like this," spat Azula.

She lay on the ground, successfully holding back tears but unable to hide her fears. She did not do well after the cliff diving and now she was having a panic attack on the floor of an inn.

Ty Lee knelt beside her and gently picked up her hand. She set it over her heart, which Azula interpreted as inappropriately sexual for a few moments.

"Feel my heart?" Ty Lee whispered, pressing her hand down on top of Azula's.

"It is as fast as mine," Azula said, baring her teeth. They glinted in the light.

"That's just because I feel nervous when you feel bad because I love you. But when I breathe, you breathe." Maybe she would not yell at Ty Lee for suggesting breathing exercises this time. Hopefully, that was.

"Why would you marry a crazy girl?" gasped out Azula, startling Ty Lee. "Why are you so masochistic? It is like you enjoy the torture."

She breathed when Ty Lee breathed, despite her anger. Fear made Azula livid. Ty Lee had always known that since they were little girls.

"Because getting married is easy and being married is not," Ty Lee said. "I love you and I loved marrying you, but I know it's going to suck at least half of the time."

"I am reminding you of that if you ever complain about me as a wife," said Azula through her ragged breaths. She began to control them as Ty Lee controlled her own.

"I know you will," Ty Lee said warmly. She smiled. Azula loathed her for it but was too caught up in her own panic to say anything about it.

"Count on it," Azula said.

Ty Lee smiled again and nodded.


	11. Home

**_+Home+_**

"You two are back… after vanishing," said Zuko, voice filled with disdain. "You worried me. Azula, you are _not_ allowed to disappear when you are my responsibility and you doing something awful would be on my head—"

"Which I would find hysterical," Azula interrupted, which made him frown angrily at her.

"And I was worried about Ty Lee too," Zuko retorted. "You completely walked out on your wedding and could have been kidnapped—"

"We got married," Azula said. "We decided to skip the stress that was tearing our relationship apart, and then we went on a trip for a while."

Zuko at first had no response to that. It was a difficult statement to react to, because, on one hand, he knew that Ty Lee was crazy and driving Azula crazy when it came to the wedding, but, on the other hand, it was reckless and irresponsible. And Azula's responsibility was _his_ responsibility.

"Congratulations and also I hate you," Zuko expressed, wishing he were more eloquent but knowing he got his point across.

Azula turned to Ty Lee, then back to Zuko.

"We will require an entire revamp of our rooms," Azula said. "Mine isn't good enough for the most perfect married couple in the history of married couples."

"I could procure a tent," Zuko snapped. He stormed away and Azula turned to Ty Lee again.

"He will crack," Azula said, a smirk on her lips.

" _Or_ , we could move somewhere in Caldera outside of the palace where he could still watch us but maybe that would be okay if you want but only if you want, of course," Ty Lee said, so scared that her words slurred.

Azula glared at first, which frightened Ty Lee to death, but then Azula smiled. A _real_ smile. Not a smug smirk, which exalted Ty Lee.

"I guess we need to shop for a glorious home," Azula said.

Ty Lee grinned, and then frowned, worried. "If any are for sale."

Azula almost laughed at that worry.

"We can always kick a family out. I think I have that power, or can pretend to have that power, or coerce my brother into using his power."

"I do love power, and your confidence, and everything about you." Ty Lee winked and smiled.

"I also love power, my confidence and everything about me," Azula replied.

Ty Lee felt her heart flutter. Azula made her so very happy.


	12. A Place of Our Own

**_+A Place of Our Own+_**

* * *

Azula and Ty Lee stand inside of their new home. It is a two-minute walk from the palace, but it does make Azula feel less like her brother's ward and makes Ty Lee feel more like a married woman. The old but beautiful home is barren, but it will not be for long.

It smells like must and dust, with a hint of the summer air wafting in. Despite the hot day, the inside is cool against the princesses' skin. Azula absentmindedly rubs her thumb in circles on the side of Ty Lee's wrist as they gaze out over the balcony at the fire fountain below.

"Princess," Ty Lee says, asking the question she has been working up the courage for all day. "Can… I… can… I want my stuffed animals to move in with us."

Azula laughs coldly. "No."

Ty Lee's lip trembles and her eyes swell with glistening tears. She pleads in her cutest voice, "B-but princess, I _love_ you."

Azula is not swayed. "I do not see why that matters."

"Don't you love me?" Ty Lee gently grabs Azula by the front of the shirt and gazes at her with pleading kitten eyes.

Azula frowns. "One stuffed animal may move in with us."

Ty Lee decides to push her luck. No one ever said she was smart.

"T-two?" Ty Lee bats her eyelashes. Azula scowls but then sighs, making a grand show of it to prove she is a generous goddess.

"Two stuffed animals may move in with us but if a third sneaks in I will _burn it_."

Ty Lee excitedly kisses her on the lips.

* * *

On their first night, they do not bother having anyone unwrap the boxes. Workers will come and do that in the morning while Azula and Ty Lee have breakfast and lounge on their new patio with attached fire fountain.

Now, they kneel on the floor with their dinner, noodles cooked over a fire as if they were camping. It reminds them a bit of when they were young. They smell the smoke, taste the terrible food and gaze into each other's eyes.

Azula touches Ty Lee first.

"When did we become bold?" Azula ponders, pulling away before she finishes the caress.

"You were always the boldest and most incredible person in the whole world," says Ty Lee.

"I mean romantically. Trust me, I was not romantically bold in the past since I never cared enough to learn about it," Azula purrs. Ty Lee starts to giggle. " _What_?"

"I tried to teach you," she squeaks. Her tone smooths and softens when she adds on, "I wanted to pretend we were really flirting with each other."

Azula thinks about her reply. She decides that no one else is around and that she can afford to be honest with Ty Lee from time to time.

"Me too," Azula says. She kisses Ty Lee deeply, reveling in the sensation of her soft lips.

Her skin is soft too and Azula runs her fingertips over it, leaving goosebumps in her wake.

They dive into each other on that cold stone floor in their barren new home.


	13. Beautiful Burglary

**_+Beautiful Burglary+_**

"I don't know," Azula comments, scowling at her reflection. "You are not as good at this as I remember you being. When we were on our honeymoon, you did a fine job but there were no mirrors around. Now, I think it is a terrible idea to live without a staff."

"You look beautiful, you always do. You even look beautiful at your absolute worst, and you don't look your absolute worst when I do your hair and make-up," Ty Lee says, resting her head on Azula's shoulder and smiling at the image of her and her true love together at last.

"I suppose it will do. We are just selecting furniture."

"Right." Ty Lee grins.

"Right," Azula replies quite coolly.

They do finishing touches and head out the door.

* * *

The sun begins to set by the time Azula and Ty Lee have chosen three items for their new home. Ty Lee keeps chewing on her lip and Azula keeps glaring.

"I like just choosing what you like because you have fantastic taste but you're also really picky," Ty Lee says, rubbing her toe on the ground. "I don't think anybody relaly has the style or stuff that you're accustomed to."

Azula takes her time when she watches purple begin to consume the orange of the sky.

"Do you trust me?" Azula asks, eyes alight with her brilliant scheme.

Ty Lee uneasily gives an honest answer. "About a third of the time."

"Good enough," Azula replies. Honestly, she knows Ty Lee is not bright, but she would not expect anyone who knows her so well to trust her _more_ than that often. "We have one last stop."

"But the stores are all closed," Ty Lee squeaks.

"We have one last stop."

Azula smirks and seizes Ty Lee, dragging her through the streets of Caldera.

* * *

Night has fallen by the time Azula and Ty Lee climb over obsidian walls into the western courtyard of the royal palace. They both gracefully land, Ty Lee still baffled but loyal, and sneak past the guards. It all is wildly unnecessary but that is what makes it fun.

Azula punches through a window. Ty Lee gasps, horrified, and gently grabs onto her wife's bloody hand.

"I am fine," lies Azula. "It doesn't even hurt."

"You're so brave," Ty Lee says with wide, admiring eyes (which is exactly why Azula lied about how much broken glass in her hand stings).

The girls climb through a window, Azula washes off her bloody hand in a fountain, and then she turns around to face Ty Lee.

"Grab everything you want," she whispers. "And grab something to put it in so we can actually get it all home."

Ty Lee has waited her entire life for this moment.


	14. Mistake

AN: I'm going to do a few chapters of this story for Tyzula Month. This one is for the Day 8 Prompt!

* * *

 ** _+Mistake+_**

Azula sits, bored, twisting a ring around her finger over and over. The day at work has been boring, which one can expect from hours of feigning concern about taxes, farmers and the problems of peasants.

Her brother walks to her and she braces herself for his attempts at awkward small talk. Maybe they get along from time to time, but this is not one of them. She is irritated by him and his regime and how she would do so much better sitting on that throne.

"You look troubled," says Zuko. Azula sighs as loudly as she can, but it does not make him back down. She misses when he was more of a pushover.

"Maybe I am troubled. I do not see how it is any business of yours," Azula snaps and Zuko holds up his hands in surrender. She grinds her teeth and glares at him, refusing to budge. He ought to be the one to leave first.

"Is it about your love life?" Zuko asks. He hit the nail on the head and Azula hates him for it.

"Of course it is," snarls Azula. "My life is perfect except for the nightmare of living with that woman and trying to tolerate her and trying to be kind and letting her speak freely so often."

Zuko squints. That would probably explain why her marriage is miserable, but he is not stupid enough to comment on it.

"Is there anything I can do?" he inquires, trying to be the valiant big brother. It makes Azula feel sick.

But she decides to let the conversation persist for a few more minutes. "Do you ever think that your marriage was a horrible mistake?"

"On occasion, yes," replies Zuko, turning up his palms. "I think everybody does. And living together is hard at first, but you get used to it."

"You are ridiculously unhelpful." Azula gets up and storms away.

Zuko stares at her, baffled.


	15. A Sunny Disposition

**_+A Sunny Disposition+_**

Azula wakes with the desire to drown the world in ocean-blue flames.

The grim rain has not stopped pouring from the sky since last night and the darkness consumes her bedroom. She sits up and gets out of bed, looking for her clothes to get dressed. She always trains in the morning; it is one of the few things that truly makes her happy.

It takes all of three minutes for her to accidentally slam her finger in the dresser drawer and promptly burn a dusty, empty bookshelf to ashes. Ty Lee sits up, startled and scared and smelling smoke.

"Go back to sleep. It's nothing. This house is just a horrible place and one of these days I am going to burn this entire city to the ground," snarls Azula through her teeth.

She walks downstairs and does not expect Ty Lee to follow her.

"It's the rain, isn't it?" asks Ty Lee and Azula cocks an eyebrow.

"I have _no_ idea what that is supposed to mean. What does the rain have to do with this horrible and pointless life I inexplicably live. Not only have my dreams been crushed, but there's really not point to anything since everyone dies in the end. Everyone dies _alone_ in the end too, for that matter," Azula rants, glowering at her wife.

"The rain matters a lot because, you see and stuff, princess," says Ty Lee, "the weather kinda decides your mood for you."

The two wives then stand in temporary utter silence in their beautiful home that Azula hates today, beneath windows bathing them in grim grey light. A thunderstorm rolled into the Fire Nation from the tumultuous seas, and Azula—as Ty Lee would predict—is in a terrifyingly dreadful mood.

Azula lividly and defiantly screams, " _No_! My mood decides the weather! How dare the weather presume to control me?"

"That—that's not true. Right? I don't think that's true. It's just when it's sunny you're happy and fine and when it's not sunny you're terrifying in the not good way." Ty Lee smiles as brightly as she can in hopes it will soften the blow.

Azula scowls. Ty Lee's heart beats at the speed of lightning. A bolt of lightning. She certainly hopes the fact that she is mostly happily married to Azula means she will never be the subject of a lightning strike. That _is_ what her mother warned her about.

Disgruntled, Azula viciously snarls, "I think it is absurd that you would even suggest that. I am angry for completely valid reasons."

"Oh. Okay. So, what are the reasons?" Ty Lee smiles in faux innocence.

"Good ones!" Azula glares daggers, eyes on fire. "Why would I tell you?"

"Because I'm your extremely sexy wife, of course." Ty Lee bats her thick eyelashes.

"That does not matter to me. Were you not listening when I reminded you that everyone dies alone?" Azula says, throwing her arms up in exasperation.

"Yeah, but if you've had a nice life dying isn't so bad."

"Dying would be a gift at this point in my life," snarls Azula.

"Okay, yeah, but, alternatively, you could wait for a few decades and die side by side with me."

"That sounds horrible. Why would I want to die side by side with someone who does not know when to shut up and listen to the _princess_ who _conquered Ba Sing Se_."

"Well, I love that princess with all of my heart and that makes my life worth something and worth waking up every morning."

They stand in silence again. Azula grinds her teeth.

"I pity you," she snaps, and walks out the door into the rain without a single garment to protect her beautiful clothes.

Ty Lee sighs and stares out the window. Azula does not go far before she leans against a wall and stares forward blankly. The rain drenches her and her ivory skin shimmers in the dim light. She looks furious, and Ty Lee does not exactly know what to do about that, but she follows Azula outside anyway.

"Maybe it will be sunny later. Then you'll feel better," Ty Lee suggests, futilely holding her hand over her head to keep the rain off of her.

"I do not subscribe to this _weather theory_ ," Azula snarls, crossing her arms. "The weather does not control my moods. No one controls Princess Azula, especially not you. If I hate rain, it's because rain is terrible and darkness is terrible and everything is terrible."

"Rain can be fun," Ty Lee attempts.

"We're not children. I don't care what is _fun_ or not. Fun is pointless," Azula snaps, still clearly livid.

"Yeah but kissing is way better in the rain."

They stand in silence yet again. It has become less electrically charged.

"Prove it," Azula demands.

Ty Lee leans forward and presses her lips against Azula's.

Their hearts thunder as lightning flashes in the grey skies above.

* * *

That afternoon, the weather clears, the clouds part and the blue skies shimmer with the brilliant brightness of the vibrant orange sun above. Azula lies on a stone bench in the backyard, basking in the sunlight. Ty Lee steps outside carrying two cups of tea.

"Look, I suppose I can be generous and kind and magnificent and admit I was being childish earlier. While I absolutely do not want to die side by side with you, I suppose things _can_ matter even though we all die."

They are in silence as Ty Lee sets down a cup of tea beside Azula.

"I love sunshine. It makes you so much less scary."

"This has nothing to do with the weather!" Azula exclaims and Ty Lee recoils.

"Of course. Of course not, princess," lies Ty Lee. "Everyone cheers up after total mental breakdowns. That's just y'know how stuff works!"

"Exactly." Azula closes her eyes.

Ty Lee walks back inside, into the shade.

She only wishes she could make Azula stable at all times, but, to her complete dismay, the weather always gets in the way.


End file.
